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Jerry Springer passed away at his home in Chicago at the age of 79 due to cancer. His former collaborator Steve Wilkos emotionally recalled their last meeting where they talked about the old days.
Despite feeling tired after shooting his own show, Steve Wilkos didn't want to disappoint Jerry Springer when he called about getting together for cigars, revealing that he "really didn't want to go."
Steve Wilkos regrets not knowing about Jerry Springer's illness before their last meeting, where they talked about old times over cigars, as he believes it was Springer's way of saying goodbye.
"He embraced me and hugged me like he had never done before, telling me he loves me. We reflected on the good times we had together, which we normally didn't do, and now it makes a lot of sense," said Steve Wilkos about his last meeting with Jerry Springer before his death from cancer.
"If the rumors about his pancreatic cancer are true, then the way he hugged me and said goodbye makes a lot of sense now," said Steve Wilkos, who wasn't aware of Jerry Springer's illness until after his passing.
Geraldo Rivera was shocked to learn about Jerry Springer's passing, as he didn't know he was ill, and spoke to 'Entertainment Tonight' about their similar talk show runs in the same era.
"He always appeared full of vitality, so the news of his passing came as a shock. I can't speculate on why he kept his illness a secret, but pancreatic cancer is a severe disease, so it's possible Jerry didn't want to become the subject of one of his own shows," Geraldo Rivera said.